Police Steamroll 100 000 Bottles Of Booze

[Vanhelsing]

Police have publicly steamrollered thousands of bottles of alcohol in Indonesia, as a special reminder to believers to keep away from strong beverages ahead of the holy month of Ramadan observed by Muslims worldwide.

The demonstration took place in the city of Surabaya, the second largest city on Java island, on Wednesday, AFP reported.

A steamroller crushed some 100,000 bottles of alcohol in a police station courtyard in the city. The beverages were confiscated “in the month before Ramadan during an operation across Surabaya,” local police spokeswoman Lily Djafar said. Consumption of alcohol is prohibited under Islamic law.

The prohibited drinks included national Bintang beer, ales and homemade liquor. The latter can be dangerous as it may contain toxic chemicals. All the liquids were either sold or produced illegally.

Surabaya police also torched large amounts of recreational drugs, including ecstasy and 17 crystal methamphetamine pills, seized during raids.

Ramadan, the holy Muslim month of fasting that begins on May 26 this year, is observed by Muslims worldwide. The believers refrain from any food, liquids and sex from dawn until sunset. Muslims usually pray and read the Koran more, and refrain from making insults, cursing or lying.

https://www.rt.com/news/389593-indonesia-police-streamroll-alcohol/

 

[Anglian]

The usual pre Ramadan performance, after Ramadan just continue making the poisonous alcohol drinks, I'm sure this is a pre Ramadan batch just brewed to be destroyed

 

[Vanhelsing]

The usual pre Ramadan performance, after Ramadan just continue making the poisonous alcohol drinks, I'm sure this is a pre Ramadan batch just brewed to be destroyed

I agree. It's still a very distressing image, however.

 

[waarmstrong]

The usual pre Ramadan performance, after Ramadan just continue making the poisonous alcohol drinks, I'm sure this is a pre Ramadan batch just brewed to be destroyed

Yes, the usual show; I think I recognize the steamroller from years past.

 

[Davita]

All I can think off is what happens to those bottles and plastic containers. Its unlikely they will be left on the police compound so the locals get the message....more than likely just shovelled into a hole somewhere, covered and left for the next generation to be affected.
It's the same principle as the bravado visual display of blowing-up pirate fishing boats...no-one seems to question what damage the pollution causes.
I'd much prefer to see the bottles, plastics and boats being recycled....that would be a better message to convey.

The report says the police also torched many drugs...last time I saw a video of that happening the local villagers got high on the fumes created...very amusing.

 

[Anglian]

It's funny during the year the police seem totally incapable of shutting down these illegal brewers, yet a week before Ramadan they find 100,000 bottles of illegal hooch​

 

[tokektokek]

One of the odd things is this is not just dangerous moonshine, this is bottles of Bintang - the national beer of Indonesia.

Extremely irresponsible crushing glass bottles like that, it could go anywhere. Far more mature to empty the bottles first (either through consuming or pouring away) and then send the bottles back to Bintang to be used again. What an absolute waste of good glass.

And this is the police doing this, the police! Not some random nutjob fanantical losers.

"Consumption of alcohol is prohibited under Islamic law" - I'm not quite sure why they felt the need to add this to the article as it is completely irrelevant as Indonesia is not governed by Islamic law.

Its not a good sign when they admit they are doing it because of Ramadan, not even trying to say it is to protect people from methanol poisoning.

In Surabaya too, the second biggest city in Indonesia, not Aceh..... Scary stuff, another step backwards.

 

[atlantis]

Its not a good sign when they admit they are doing it because of Ramadan

They don't even have to. The Bintang botol have been seized because the shops didn't have the license to sell it. Most sellers don't have such license so it is very easy for the Police to collect bribes 11 month a year and to seize stock 1 month a year.

 

[Anglian]

I see jakarta police have just smashed a 1000 bottles, quite weird really, one week before Ramadan, a token bottle smashing week, I expect the old generals get quite excited about that,

 

[vocalneal]

Who was it who was looking for cheap booze? I guess it's all gone now?

 

[Davita]

I looked with a magnifier and didn't see any expensive bottles in that group being destroyed. Maybe they kept the best for themselves or... my 'booze contact' will call me after lebaran and say he has a new supply....happened last year.

 

[William King]

Who was it who was looking for cheap booze? I guess it's all gone now?

Very much doubt that it will be gone...

 

[William King]

I looked with a magnifier and didn't see any expensive bottles in that group being destroyed. Maybe they kept the best for themselves or... my 'booze contact' will call me after lebaran and say he has a new supply....happened last year.

Or if they had that the seal had been opened, contents replaced, and it was only cheap tea being bulldozed...

 

[vocalneal]

Used to be "involved" with a bar in Bangkok. We had special bottles of Black Label upstairs especially for the junior policemen who would come around to ask for a bottle for their "boss". We had boxed Black Label bottles refilled with cheep booze.

 

[Zavia]

Just wondering, but is Bintang able to lay a claim againts their logo being used in such a negative light and being compared to (and thus associated with) toxic illegal homebrewed substances?